


Seraphic

by Beautyandlove



Series: Words of Wonder [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sad Magnus Bane, Worried Alec Lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 10:04:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautyandlove/pseuds/Beautyandlove
Summary: “You’re too good for this cruel world, Alexander. Truly seraphic,” Magnus whispered, hugging Alec’s jacket closer to himself before taking a small step towards him, smile unsure but full of love.It still, after all their time spent together, managed to take Alec’s breath away.





	Seraphic

“Magnus,” Alec greeted as he answered the phone, curious but not surprised to receive his call while he was at the institute. Ever since Magnus had given up his magic, he had occupied himself with the most peculiar of hobbies—knitting scarves, painting, playing some God awful sounding guitar looking instrument that had Alec’s ears bleeding—and Alec suspected that he was calling because he needed assistance with some--part of it.

It was admittedly absurd how much Alec loved him.

“Hey,” Magnus said over the phone and something about his tone made Alec turn off the iPad in front of him, furrowing his brows as he stood up. It sounded like Magnus was out somewhere, the heavy wind rustling through the speaker from the other end of the line, loud and painful to the ear.

“Everything okay?” He wondered and walked over to the tall window to his right, gazing out at the city and the people who lived there. It seemed peaceful from where he was standing, beautiful even, but despite the evening sun and the pretty leave-covered streets, Alec had come to know that peaceful was never the correct adjective to describe—anything.

“I—I don’t know where I am. I needed more yarn and I’d heard of this great place in Manhattan, not terribly far from the East River, but I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere because now I can’t seem to find my way there. Or home. Or anywhere, really,” Magnus breathed and though he tried to brush it off with a small chuckle, Alec could hear the defeated prosody that had coloured his voice ever since his return from Edom.

Putting on his coat, Alec grabbed a silk scarf Magnus had left behind a few weeks back and closed his eyes in concentration, tracking him for less than five seconds before picking up on his location. “Okay. I’ll be there in a minute. I love you,” Alec informed him and hung up, clutching the scarf in his hands as he left his office, desperately ignoring how the silk smelled of burnt sugar and pine - the intoxicating scent of Magnus’ magic.

It took Alec longer than he would have liked to find him, even with the speed rune, and he was surprised, and admittedly impressed, that Magnus had managed to make it that far by foot in the cold winter air.

Magnus, himself, was sitting on the ground next to an abandoned building, his head resting against the worn brick wall behind him and even from a distance, Alec could see his tussled hair swirled across his forehead and his smudged eyeliner. He appeared to be wearing a blue silk shirt and a studded blazer, a pair of dark grey slacks and his favourite plain black boots.

He looked cold but breathtaking.

“Hey,” Alec said as he sat down next to him, nudging their shoulders together when Magnus cast his eyes downwards, looking anywhere but at Alec. “Cozy spot you’ve found here, comfortable,” Alec joked and grinned when Magnus huffed out a strained laugh, low but exhilarating.

“I’m sorry I dragged you all the way out here, Alexander. Please know that it was never my intention.” Magnus turned his head and offered Alec a weak smile, eyes bloodshot and regretful - they broke Alec’s heart but he didn’t say anything. Pity, Alec had learnt, was the one thing Magnus hated more than acid washed jeans.

“Stop apologising. There’s no place I’d rather be.” Alec smiled and turned to kiss Magnus on the cheek, feeling him lean into the touch.

“Than on the freezing ground somewhere in Manhattan? Somehow I doubt that, darling,” Magnus huffed out and shook his head, his eyes shining beautifully in the dim light when he looked up at Alec.

“Than with you,” Alec corrected matter-of-factly and reached for Magnus’ hand, the metal of his rings so cold that it hurt Alec’s skin at the contact. “You should have called me sooner, you’re freezing,” He muttered and got to his feet, dragging Magnus with him before shrugging off his jacket and draping it over the other man’s shoulders.

“You’re too good for this cruel world, Alexander. Truly seraphic,” Magnus whispered, hugging Alec’s jacket closer to himself before taking a small step towards him, smile unsure but full of love.

It still, after all their time spent together, managed to take Alec’s breath away.

Blushing, Alec shook his head and wrapped the scarf he’d been holding around Magnus’ neck, brushing his thumb across his cheek while observing him with weary eyes. Unsurprisingly, he seemed to smell it too, the familiar, intimate scent of the magic he had given up and Alec watched him close his eyes and furrow his brows. “It was in my office,” Alec explained and tugged Magnus into a hug, bone-crushing and full of reassurance. “I love that colour on you and I thought you might want it back.”

“Thank you,” Magnus whispered into his nape, clutching at the fabric of Alec’s blazer. It was quiet to the world, his heartache, but Alec could still hear it in the uneven pattern of his breathing. To him it was as loud as thunder. “I feel so useless, Alexander. I’ve lived in this city for over a century and yet here I am, helpless and lost the second I can’t rely on my magic to portal me somewhere. I was even about to get a taxi but realised that I don’t even know my own address. How pathetic is that?“ His words were softly spoken, with a type of indifference that made Alec’s blood boil.

“Stop, Magnus. Just—stop saying those things about yourself. They’re not true,” he sighed and stepped back, linking their arms and leading them the way he had come earlier. “Give yourself a break, cut yourself some slack. Sure, you’ve lived for hundreds of years and now this has happened. It sucks, it’s awful and I would do anything to fix it-“ he held up his hand when Magnus was about to interject. “-but don’t say that you’re helpless, or useless, or pathetic, Magnus. You’re the most capable person I’ve ever met, magic or not.”

“Then why doesn’t it feel like it?” Magnus asked and Alec could hear the emotion in his voice, heavy as lead. Alec turned his head and pulled Magnus closer to him, pressing a kiss atop of his head before resting his arm around his shoulders.

“You’ll figure this out, Magnus, you always do. And I’ll be right there, no further than a phone call away, if you need some help along the way,” Alec whispered into his hair and felt his heart beat just a little bit faster when Magnus wrapped his arms around his waist, walking as closely as he possibly could without making them fall over.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you have a beautiful day!


End file.
